


Gravity

by IvoryCrow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambiguous timelines, Established Relationship, Keith-Centric, M/M, Time Travel AU, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 10:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15435591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvoryCrow/pseuds/IvoryCrow
Summary: Keith doesn’t know them. They always wear helmets with dark visors that he can’t see beyond. The taller one always appears dressed in heavy armor and he looks like a knight from a fairy tale dressed in all black. His other savior is less memorable, he holds himself like a soldier that always feels too familiar.It doesn't matter in the end. Not really.





	Gravity

**Author's Note:**

> I stayed away from Voltron for a while 'cause the fandom was a bit too much but my best friend inspired me to keep watching it and so... I wrote almost 3k words in one sitting. Those S7 previews gave me too much.

The first time Keith meets them is exactly one year after night of the fire. After his father never walks out of that building and he screams himself hoarse that night, and every night after for days. His case worker only gives him pitiful looks and Keith hates him.

This time, he’s half asleep against the gravestone. The orphanage doesn’t care — they let him dwell in his mourning alone. _The problem child with a temper_ , they refer him as. _It’s a matter best left alone_.  He keeps wishing it would have been different but the name Kogane is the only thing he has left of the past.

He barely registers the twig snap near him and it’s too late when he looks up. Dark fur, yellow eyes. The monster smirks. It’s knife glistens against the moonlight and it moves forward. Keith braces himself, throwing himself back to get away.

It doesn’t matter in the end. The creature barely makes it a few steps towards him when another figure tackles it. This one is armored to the teeth with  white insignias against black metal plates.

Instead, they look like a knight pulled out of a fairytale book. The Knight pulls back his right arm and his fist molds into a dagger of light. He doesn’t see what happens next because someone grabs him and pushes his face against their chest.

He hears it though. The creature groans and the man holding Keith lets go. When he looks, there is no proof, no blood, only a glimmer of purple dust that lingers in the air. Keith stumbles towards the gravestone, as if his father could protect him.

The man behind him is dressed similar but he’s much less bulky. His shoulders lack the pads the Knight wears and his insignia glow a neon violet. He looks more like a soldier and holds himself as such.  It matches him, somehow. He even walks carefully like a cat against the shadows as he moves away to give Keith room.

“Are you okay?” The voice is muffled behind the helmet but Keith can hear the concern the Knight directs at him. Keith can only nod and gives them the most defiant glare he can manage.

“Who are you?” Keith just can’t keep the tremble out of his own voice but he doesn’t let himself cry. “Who was _that_?”  

“It’s okay, Keith.” The Knight says and crouches beside him. “I’m sorry we scared you.” He lays a heavy hand on his shoulder, the hand that didn’t turn into a weapon. Keith sniffs, blinking back the tears. Keith remembers his own knife is tucked into his jacket. The Knight speaks again, “I wish things could be different.”

It sounds honest and he hasn’t heard someone so genuine in so long.

“Don’t coddle him.” The soldier speaks up. Keith almost doesn’t like him but then the Soldier brushes his fingers through his hair, like his father used to do. It calms him and he presses against the hand. “We can’t tell you much. I can warn you though: Life is going to be hell but everything you go through? It’s worth it in the end.”

“Don’t tell him like that.” The Knight scolds but Soldier laughs. Keith sinks deeper into his warmth and it almost feels like his father never left. He watches the Soldier press his other hand against the Knight’s chest.

“It’s easier if it’s quick and painless.” Soldier says.

“Okay.” Knight doesn’t sound like he agrees but his visor watches them. Whatever image Keith and the Soldier paint at that moment must ease him somehow. “Okay.”

They stay like that for what seems like hours. Keith is too exhausted to remember to ask for their names again. He falls asleep in the lap of the Soldier and barely notices when the Knight scoops him up.

He wakes up the next morning in his bed and other kids are screaming downstairs. Keith knows it wasn’t a dream, not when he finds the dagger his father gave him tucked carefully between the mattress and the frame instead of inside his jacket.

***

They meet again two summers after and it sparks the memory of the first. His foster family lets him do as he pleases as long as he does his share of chores. Keith keeps finding himself wandering the clearing near the park more often than not. Only this time, he's surrounded by a group of them armed with sharp swords and pistol-like weapons.

Keith can only run. His feet pound against the leaves and dirt as he tries to distance himself from the monsters. He’s just a ten year-old _human_ boy. He ducks behind a tree and prays to whatever god is listening. Someone grunts and another lets out a high pitched scream. Keith tucks his head between his knees.

“Keith?” It’s the Knight.

He blinks up at the familiar helmet before throwing himself at him. “You came. You came.”

The Knight chuckles, “Did you think we wouldn’t?”

One last monster lets out a sour whine and Soldier blinks into a existance with a monstrous wolf. Keith lets out a surprised screech and Soldier stumbles, falling back against the animal.

“Sorry, I — I didn’t realize he was so close.” Soldier says, apologetically. The wolf stalks forward and takes a sniff. Keith tries to make himself smaller but the wolf catches him, licking at his cheek. He squeals.

“ _Andromeda_.”  The Knight hisses, “Go back to the lion.”

The wolf lets out a whine and drops onto her back. Soldier snorts, “Way to stick to her code-name.”

“I’m not calling going to just call her _Wolf_.” The Knight looks at his partner and Keith can only guess what they’re saying because they only share looks he can't see. Andromeda huffs, licks Keith one last time, and vanishes. His two heroes look down at him. The Knight tilts his head and he can’t make out his face, only broad lines in the dark.

Keith begs instead, “Take me with you.”

“I—” The Knight starts but he’s pulled back by Soldier and Keith is lifted suddenly into Soldier’s arms. Keith can’t help but hug him back. “I’m sorry.” Soldier’s voice is softer now, the softest it’s ever been. “But you’re going to have to be strong on your own for a while.”

“Please, don’t leave me again.” Keith begs, even as Soldier sets him down once more. “Please.”

The Knight presses a hand to his head. “One day, you are going to find people who will never leave and they will love you. And you’re going to love them too.”

“Do you promise?” Keith demands. He wants a home, he wants somewhere he can rest his head. Even if that home would be somewhere far, far away with the Knight and Soldier. He wants.   
  
The Soldier reaches out with a pinky, “We promise.” They shake on it like a promise made to some kid would matter. The two disappear into the night and Keith watches a black lion shoot across the sky, like a comet.

One day, Keith is going to reach the stars.

***

“You really think _Black_ favors anyone other than you at this point? She barely wants to let me pilot. She just lets me do it because she’s soft on you. “ Soldier says. The creatures have been taken care and Keith doesn't stop himself from laying against the soft fur their wolf offers.

He opens one eye, “Will you guys ever tell me what’s going on?” He’s thirteen years old now and every attack so far has been a failure. His protectors always appear the moment danger strikes but he still has no idea who they are. Keith only knows a few facts: He knows they have an interstellar wolf named Andromeda who likes belly rubs. Their ship is a giant black lion he’s not allowed to ask about. He knows his life is in danger for some reason and he’s almost sure they’re not from his planet.

“The big boss said no.” Soldier replies, cleaning off his sword, and it glitters like red glass. “She wants us to keep this strictly ‘professional’.”

The Knight snorts and turns his visor towards Keith. “Give us some questions that are a little more specific and we’ll see what we can answer.”

“Are you guys human or what?” Keith decides on from the long list of questions he has.   

“Or what.” Soldier shrugs, “We’re mostly human.”

“I’m a good 75%.” The Knight tacks on and he can hear the smile in his voice. The look Soldier gives him is one that Keith can only guess is supposed to be a glare. The Knight laughs, “You liked it the first time I said it.”  
  
“Then where do you guys come from?” Keith continues, watching them shove at each other and share looks under dark visors that would take him years to read.

The Knight smiles, “Any star you point at on a map, we’ve been there.”

“ _Kuro_ .” Soldier hisses. Keith memorizes the name immediately. Kuro laughs, “It’s fine, _Yorak_. We can trust him not to tell, right?”

Keith smiles and they spend the rest of the night talking about the stars.

***

“Are you two together?” Is the first thing that comes out of his mouth when he catches Yorak watching Kuro from a distance. The attack that night was the largest yet and even though Kuro sustained no obvious injuries, Keith has noticed he favors his left side.

Yorak doesn’t turn his head when he answers, he just keeps staring at Kuro as the knight throws another stick for Andromeda to catch. “What do you think?”

“I think you love him.” Keith says. “I think you watch him more often than you watch me from under that helmet.”

“That’s an interesting observation.” Yorak doesn’t confirm it and he doesn’t deny it either.

He doesn’t really want to pry but he can’t help the curiosity, “Is he okay?”

“Yes. He just gets phantom pains sometimes… he doesn’t notice it though. We’ve gotten used to pushing past it.” It’s the most Yorak has said in one go that Keith can only stare. “He forgets he’s not as young as he used to be.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “How old are you guys?”

Yorak makes a noise behind his visor that sounds like a laugh, “Old enough to be your parents.”

“Ugh,” Keith does laugh. “You guys are such an old married couple.”

“God you’re as bad as Pid- _Green_. Don’t disrespect your elders like this.”   

***

Kuro and Yorak don’t come again for a few months so the winter goes by without interruption. He doesn’t spot _Black_ anywhere in the sky but he never stops looking up. He gets placed from home to home and suffers through each family who just put up with him. Keith just stays angry.

Not at them, just at the world. Each family wants him to be something different and he doesn’t bother with it. There’s an itch under his skin that he can’t reach. When he’s run down by the same armored creatures that have been hunting him since his childhood, he hisses like a cat cornered. The burning under his skin is too hot. Yorak comes alone this time and there is no Kuro or _Black_ with him.

Instead, it’s a Red Lion that crashes down on the clearing, swiping away the enemies with a single paw. Yorak emerges from his lion and Andromeda is nowhere to be seen. He lends Keith a hand, “We won’t met again.”

Keith chokes. “What?”

“This is the last time we will meet.” Yorak says as if he hadn’t just shattered his world. “I came to say goodbye.”

“But — What about Kuro?” Keith says and Yorak says nothing. “What if those things come again?”

“They might try something one last time.” Yorak answers. He scrunches his fingers in Keith’s hair, scratching lightly. “I can’t come again.” Keith is fifteen years old and his only friends are two people that aren’t even from Earth. “Would you like to meet _Red_?” Yorak offers. “You’ll like her.”

Keith can only nod and the lion bends forward. He places a hand on her nose and the metal breathes. “She’s beautiful.” He says.

Yorak laughs and it rings in his head. It’s on the tip of his tongue but Yorak’s visor glows before he can match it to a memory. “I made it. He’s fine.” His voice quiets and Red knocks him back with her nose. Yorak turns away, “The Queen said I had time.”

Keith can’t hear the rest when Yorak’s voice drops too low. The helmet blocks out the majority of it in the end. Red nuzzles his chest and Keith doesn’t want this to end. He doesn’t want to go back to the house.

“Keith.” Yorak calls. “I thought I had more time. I’m sorry.”

Keith shrugs. He’s used to being disappointed but Yorak tightens his hand into a fist. He mutters something that sounds like a curse and lifts his visor enough for Keith to see his eyes. They’re violet and aged, and he can barely see a faint scar on the top of his cheek.

“We’ve made you a lot of promises these last years but you need to believe me. One day, this will make sense. One day, you’ll be happy.” Yorak pleads and Keith freezes. He continues, “ _Don’t give up_.” Yorak flickers for a moment and curses again. “Keith, don’t let anyone convince you that you’re not good enough.”

Red roars and Yorak dashes towards her. “Don’t forget!”

They disappear against the stars and Keith can’t find it in himself to stand up until morning.

 ***

The last time he sees Kuro and Black is after he turns sixteen. He meets Shiro who believes in him enough to recommend him for the Garrison and all Keith wants to do is fly. Shiro offers him someone real that believes in him, unconditionally. Yet, even Shiro will eventually leave with the Kerberos mission approaching but he’ll come back. He promised.

Keith escapes to the desert one weekend on a bike he steals using some officers’ ID he ‘borrows.’ When the creatures attack for the last time, Keith pulls out his knife with a hiss and they take a defensive step back. Almost on instinct. Kuro dives on them, ripping through them like nothing. His knife would have been no match for them. Kuro slaughters them into dust without a single sound. Keith drops back into the seat of the bike and crosses his arms.

“Don’t be mad.” Kuro says, leaning against the side. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“This is going to be your last visit.” Keith says. It’s not a question.

Kuro sighs and nods, “ _Yorak_ sends his love.”

“I wish you both could stay. Or take me with you.” There’s nothing left for him here. Maybe Shiro, but Shiro would forgive him. “There’s no one here for me.”

Kuro snorts. “That’s what you think now. But we promised you once before. There are people here who love you.”

“Do you two have a family?” Keith shifts the conversation instead. Kuro has always had a loose tongue compared to Yorak but Kuro always makes less sense.

“Of course.  You know I can’t tell you too much so.  _Yellow_ ? He’s the sweetest and the best damn diplomat I’ve seen. _Blue_ is… well. He’s hard to describe without giving too much away. Oh, _Green_. The brains behind everything. She’s amazing, you’ll love her. The Queen as well. She’s one of the strongest people I know. There’s also Bishop. He could make anyone laugh.” Kuro talks about them like each own a little piece of heart. It makes Keith a little jealous.

“What about Yorak?”

“That is our family. We pieced it together and it just works.” Kuro replies with a shrug. “But Yorak is a little more special.”  

Keith stares up at the sky, “Will I really remember any of this?” His memories have started to cloud over. As if they never existed.  

Kuro presses forward and runs a hand over Keith’s head, as if he’s done it a thousand times before. Except it’s only ever been Yorak who has done it to him before. “I’m afraid the rest is up to you.”

The Red Lion chooses her pilot a year later.

***

He leaves Black in the hanger, letting her rest near the White lion. Allura doesn’t pilot her often as of late but the lions always appreciate the company. Kuro just hopes he doesn't run into no one between here and the long shower he craves.  The last thing he heard from Pidge was something along the lines of quantum physics and the time jumps. He wants to power off his brain for the rest of the night. 

Except, Yorak is waiting by the doors and Kuro can just read the smile from under the visor. His partner pushes off the wall, “You’re home early.”

“What? You don't think I enjoy traveling through time to make sure the Galra don't get their hands on you?” Kuro can’t help the laugh that bubbles in his chest when he imagines the eye-roll. Yorak grabs at his helmet with more snark than needed and pulls it off in a single practiced motion. 

Shiro takes a deep breath and pushes his hair back from his eyes. He smiles, “I missed you.”

“You just saw me.” He can hear the smile in that voice and Yorak follows, removing his own helmet. Keith smirks, “It’s barely been a few minutes since you jumped back.”

“It wasn’t really  _you,_ you. We’re not even sure if it’s the same reality.” Shiro snorts. “If Pidge is right and the timeline stays on it’s course, you might retain some hazy memories when everything snaps back into place. I just hope that's the last of the squadrons they've sent.”

“You worry too much, it’s not like anyone would dare travel back so close to the lions waking up. And if they do, he’s not alone anymore.” Keith moves forward, “He’s going to be fine.”  

“Do you think that if the timeline does diverge… that he’ll be okay?” Shiro can't help but worry and Keith brushes his hair back again. 

“I think he would figure it out on his own. With help from Pidge, Lance, Hunk. You.” He kisses him once, “I think, eventually, we all end up just where we’re meant to be.”   

**Author's Note:**

> I spammed “Future” by Transviolet and I’ve got a lot of feelings. 
> 
> I got some other Sheith fic ideas that I'll probably write. This ship is so great, I'm such a sucker for those relationship where they just have such a huge impact on each other.
> 
> Anyways I just need sleep cuz for some reason, for research, I started reading about quantum physics. And then Quantum Entanglement. And I dont know if I understood anything I just read but all of that is some serious stuff.


End file.
